Lobelia plant named ‘Balobwablu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lobelia  plant named ‘Balobwablu’ characterized by its mounded and trailing growth habit, dark lavender blue-colored flowers, dark-green colored foliage, and day length neutral flowering habit.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Lobelia erinus.

Variety denomination: ‘Balobwablu’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lobelia planthereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balobwablu’.

This new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program duringAugust 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breedingprogram was the development of new Lobelia cultivars with unique flowercolors and vigorous, trailing growth habits.

The new cultivar was the result of the open-pollination of Lobeliaerinus cultivar Wesstar, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,678, which requires longdays to bloom, exhibits white-colored flowers, and has a heavilybranching, mounded, and trailing growth habit. The resulting seed wascollected and germinated. From the flowering progeny, a single plant wasdiscovered and selected by the inventor during January 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal or stem cuttingssince 2002 at Arroyo Grande, Calif., and West Chicago, Ill. hasdemonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all thecharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyfound and can be used to distinguish ‘Balobwablu’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Lobelia plant:

-   -   1. Mounded and trailing growth habit.    -   2. Dark lavender blue-colored flowers.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Day length neutral flowering habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in flower color and day length requirement.

Of the Lobelia cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar to thenew cultivar is the Lobelia cultivar ‘Periwinkle Blue’, U.S. Plant Pat.No. 12,536. However in side-by-side comparisons, plants of the newcultivar differ from plants of ‘Periwinkle Blue’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar exhibit a more spreading growth        habit than plants of ‘Periwinkle Blue’.    -   2. The flowers of the new cultivar are a different color than        the flowers of ‘Periwinkle Blue’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which more accurately describes the colors of ‘Balobwablu’.The plants were grown in 10 cm pots for 13 weeks in a greenhouse at WestChicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the general growth habit of‘Balobwablu’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower of‘Balobwablu’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is theR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2001 edition, except where color terms of ordinary significance areused. The color values were determined on Sep. 27, 2004 in West Chicago,Ill. between 1:00 and 1:45 p.m. under natural light conditions.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom cuttings taken from stock plants and grown in a doublepolycarbonate-covered under greenhouse under conditions comparable tothose used in commercial practice. Plants were grown in 10 cm pots for13 weeks while utilizing a soil-less growth medium. Greenhousetemperatures were maintained at approximately 70-75° F. (21-24° C.)during the day and approximately 55-60° F. (13-14° C.) during the night.Greenhouse light levels were maintained at approximately 5,000-8,000footcandles during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Lobelia erinus cultivar Balobwablu.-   Parentage: Open pollination of ‘Wesstar’, U.S. Plant Pat. No.    12,678.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 6-9 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 28 days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Crop time.—Approximately 9-10 weeks.        -   Growth habit.—Vigorous and freely branching with lateral            branches at every node.        -   Form.—Mounded and trailing.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 17.5 cm. Diameter (area of spread):            Approximately 43.9 cm.        -   Branch description.—Quantity of main branches: 4. Strength:            Strong. Length: Approximately 28.4 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 2 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: Closest to            137A. Length of internode at middle of branch: Approximately            2.3 cm.        -   Foliage.—Quantity of leaves per main branch:            Approximately 12. Fragrance: None. Form: Simple.            Arrangement: Alternate. Aspect: At acute angle to the stem.            Base: Attenuate, sessile. Texture of upper and lower            surface: Glabrous.        -   Apical leaves.—Shape: Lanceolate. Margin: Entire. Apex:            Mucronate. Length: Approximately 3.3 cm. Width:            Approximately 6.3 mm. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color of            upper surface of mature foliage: Closest to 137A with            venation of 144B. Color of lower surface of mature foliage:            Closest to 187B overlaid with 143A and venation of 143B.        -   Basal leaves.—Shape: Ovate. Margin: Lobed. Apex: Mucronate.            Length: Approximately 2.8 cm. Width: Approximately 2 mm.            Color of upper surface of mature foliage: Closest to 144A            with venation of 143B. Color of lower surface of mature            foliage: 144B with irregular areas of 176C and venation of            143B. Petiole length: Approximately 8.9 mm. Petiole            diameter: Approximately 2.8 mm. Petiole texture: Glabrous on            both surfaces. Color of upper surface of petiole: 144A.            Color of lower surface of petiole: 144B.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Balobwablu’ is freely flowering under            outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous            blooming from spring until autumn and year round in            greenhouse environment.        -   Lastingness of bloom.—Approximately 6-9 days.        -   Quantity of flowers per lateral branch.—Approximately 7.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 3-6 days for            buds to progress from first color to fully open flowers.            Shape: Oblong. Length: Approximately 1.3 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 5 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: Tube is 155C,            petals are closest to 122B.        -   Quantity of flowers.—One per axil.        -   Flower aspect.—Pointing outwardly, inverted because of            twisted pedicel.        -   Flower form.—Ampliate, labiate. Upper lip consists of two            narrow petals; lower lip consists of three broader petals.            Petals are fused at base forming a tube which is split            between the two upper petals.        -   Flower size.—Diameter/width: Approximately 2.1 cm. Length:            Approximately 1.9 cm. Depth: Approximately 4.3 mm.        -   Corolla tube.—Split almost to base along one side. Length:            Approximately 1 cm. Diameter at base: Approximately 2.2 mm.            Diameter at throat: Approximately 4 mm. Texture of inner and            outer surface: Glabrous. Color of outer surface: Closest to            95D. Color of inner surface: 95D with one stripe of 86A, one            stripe of 86B, and spots of 1B.        -   Petals.—Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous at margin and            center, pubescent at base.        -   Upper petals.—Shape: Oblanceolate. Length: 6.8 mm. Width at            apex: 2.5 mm. Color of upper surface: Darker and redder than            94A. Color of lower surface: 96C. Petals fade with age to:            95C.        -   Lower petals.—Shape: Obovate. Length: 1.1 cm. Width at apex:            7.9 mm. Color of upper surface: Closest to but darker and            redder than 94A. Color of lower surface: 96C.        -   Pedicel.—Length: Approximately 2.5 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 0.6 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: Closest to            137A.        -   Sepals.—Five, fused to form calyx. Shape: Linear. Apex:            Narrow acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous. Color:            137A.        -   Calyx.—Length: Approximately 6.7 mm. Diameter at base:            Approximately 1.5 mm. Diameter at petals: Approximately 1.3            cm.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamen quantity: 5 fused around pistil.            Filament length: Approximately 9 mm. Filament color: 91A.            Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: Approximately 2.2 mm.            Anther color: N92C. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen            color: N155B. Pistil quantity: One. Length: Approximately            1.5 cm. Sigma shape: Round. Stigma diameter: Approximately            1.5 mm. Stigma color: 90C. Style length: 8.5 mm. Style            color: N144D. Ovary size: 4.9 mm. Ovary color: Closest to            143A.-   Seed and fruit development: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Lobelia has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia plant named ‘Balobwablu’,substantially as herein illustrated and described.